I'm so thirlled to finally share the exciting news with you! We are going to be in a book titled One Yard Wonders by Trish Hoskins and Rebecca Yaker! We have one project in this book and one in the Barnes and Noble special edition which will feature several extra projects. The publication date is set to be October 28, 2009. I can hardly wait! Just in time for the holiday season, all of you fabric lovers are going to want to put this on your wish list. If you would like to get the lastest updates and some sneak peaks at some of the projects in the book, become a fan on facebook here. 
Oh and there is a special giveaway to go along with the book, you can win a yard of fabric each month for a whole year! Enter at the Yard of the Month Sweepstakes. Now I think it's time to celebrate with a glass of wine...images from
Amazon and
Storey Publishing
I've taken a few days off from the office job this week and started my long weekend with my mom (Country Mouse). We have lots on our to-do list and I hope there is enough time for everything! I'll share some of our weekend early next week and give you a sneak peak of what will be added to the shop. Enjoy the rest of your week!
TGIF! I'm so happy Friday is finally here and the weekend can get started. The next two weeks will be short weeks for me at the office day job and I am looking forward to the long weekends. And it's finally feeling like summer. It's a bit humid and some would say hot. But I'm not complaining, I one of those people who would rather be hot than cold. After a long winter, it's nice to thaw out and feel the heat.
Do you have plans yet for any of your long weekends this summer? One thing I would like to do is have a picnic. There's just something I enjoy about packing a basket or cooler and heading to a park where you can lay down a blanket and chill out. Next to a lake would be heaven. I haven't decided my picnic destination, but I have come across some picnic inspirations on Etsy that have given me the itch to pack my basket...
Isn't this the perfect picnic set? It comes with everything you need for setting up picnic style - blanket, napkins, utensils, plates, and a bag that holds everything. And what's a picnic without the ants, right? Atleast these ones won't be crawling around on you.
Maybe you want to make a little invite to your special picnic, wouldn't this stamp be perfect?
Just add some checkered print paper and you can come up with lots of fun designs for your picnic...labels for the food, little notes to your sweetie; I think this gives that extra special personal touch to a picnic.
And we can't forget about our darling fur babies can we? The husband and I don't have any people babies so our fur babies are quite special to us and we tend to spoil them. Cricket is due for a new collar and this would be a perfect summer style for her, don't you think? Maybe we could get matching ones for both the girls. Although I'm not sure if my husband would be a fan of his hunting dog wearing anything but blaze orange.
I hope you enjoyed these picnic items and get inspired to pack up lunch and lay down a blanket somewhere. I know I will! Have a fun weekend!
I arrived home today from the day job to find a large box on our front steps. At first I thought it was the chair that I had reordered because the original one did not have the holes drilled in the correct places for assembly. And believe me, I wanted it assembled so badly we spent hours trying to get it to work. Not fun. But Target was wonderful and will be shipping a new one to me.
But that was not what was in the box today. Today's surprise was our first large fabric order! We ordered 10 bolts of fabric. Mostly from Tanya Whelan's Darla collection. But also some from Joel Dewberry's new Deer Valley. I have never owned this much fabric before! I had to snap a few pictures and share my excitement with you!
Do you like?! We are planning another sewing marathon in about a week and a half, so look for some new goodies in the shop in about two weeks. I'll be sure to give you a few sneak peaks. Did you have a good Monday? I hope yours was as good as coming home to some new fabric!
I've got lots planned for the weekend! We are finishing up a few projects at the other house just in time for the open house on Sunday. And then I need to clean our current home that has been neglected due to the work on our old house. I can't function when the clutter starts to build up, so I am really looking forward to getting organized again.
The husband has requested new work clothes (when you have to wear red and khaki everyday, red does start to fade). I do not enjoy shopping for red, there are so many red shirts that are actually orange it's frustrating!
And I made plans to have breakfast with one of my friends that I have not seen in...well...I can't even remember. It might have been close to a year. A little overdue! So I thought I would leave you with a yummy looking breakfast (or dessert) by Eliza who has delicious food blog. You can see more of her fabulous photos here.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
photo from: notes from my food diary
One of my best friends is getting married in September and I just received her shower invite. I'm soooo excited!! I love searching for the perfect gift on Etsy. There are so many unique items to discover and I usually end up finding something for myself as well. Here are a few things I have in mind...
Would this not be the perfect print to gift for a wedding? I adore this and have been in love with it for some time now. Is it wrong to buy one for the bride and one for myself? She has a variety of Love prints in her Etsy shop. Check out Jen's blog for more loveliness.
Christine Tenenholtz of Red Hot Pottery is another extremely talented artist on Etsy. Just look at that robbin's egg blue color! I'm in heaven! This set of heart-shaped bowls could be used to hold so many things.They are definitely not the type that should be sitting in the cupboard. No, they deserve to be sitting out being admired at all times. There are so many things I would choose from her shop if I decide to order this for my friend.
Printable & Editable Recipe Cards and Mini Folders
I think this would be a truly personalized gift - recipes for the new couple. Whisker Graphics makes it easy by providing a gorgeous pdf template that you can use over and over again. So if you have many weddings this summer, this is a very economical gift. Check out her other printables and lovely stationary as well as her recently redesigned blog.
I found this cute little recipe box over at Gifts and Talents that I think would match perfectly with the recipe cards, don't you think? And the two little birdies are just as cute as the couple getting married. Ahhh, so perfect!
This is going to be a hard decision! Do you have any favorites for wedding season that you would like to share?
My husband and I have been working so hard at the other house in the little spare time that we have to get it ready before the open house. This has made me turn into a little bit of a crabby pants the last week or so. But today that all changed! I arrived home to a sweet little unexpected package in my mailbox from my friend Whitney over at Whisker Graphics. I managed to take a few pictures before the package got ripped open from excitement!
Isn't she a sweetheart? So much fun and color in all these goodies! I couldn't help but be in a better mood. I just love surprises. Well, good surprises. Not the kind of surprises your cat leaves you when they don't feel like using the litterbox.
If you would like to brighten someone's day take a look at how she put this sweet package together over on her blog. I must order some of the Japanese masking tape that she has found so many creative uses for.
Thank you Whitney for making my day!
The Sew, Mama, Sew! blog is celebrating Sewing Machine month over on their blog with helpful posts all about sewing machines as well as some fantastic giveaways! They put together a sewing machine questionnaire and I couldn't help but talk about mine...
What brand and model do you have?
Singer Stylist zig-zag sewing machine free-arm model 834
How long have you had it?
My mom handed it down to me about a year ago. But its from 1980. She’s a tad bit older than I am!
How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
30 years ago it cost under $200.00. Now maybe it’s worth lots more (hey, it’s an antique, isn’t it?)
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Oven mitts, dish drying towels, ironing board covers for our Etsy shop. But sometimes I have to repair my fur babies’ toys. I have yet to find something that they can’t destroy! I’ve even been known to repair my husband’s jeans, but not very often. I’d rather be sewing my pretties than some old dog toy or ripped jeans!
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I sew only occasionly, although this machine was used a lot by my mom for the past 30 years! She made me many outfits throughout the years and the best Halloween costumes! I hope to sew more, but usually I’m busy picking out the fabrics and having my mom sew on her new machine.
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I have not named her, but I think I should! My dress form has a name (Violet) so why shouldn’t my sewing machine? Hmm what goes well with Violet…
What features does your machine have that work well for you?
She’s pretty much a plain Jane but does have the ability to move the needle to the right or the left and sew that way, which comes in handy.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
No, she’s a pretty quiet gal so I really can’t complain.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)?
The passing of this sewing machine from my mom to me was the catalyst that created our etsy shop. She gave me the machine when she got her new one and then we went fabric shopping, found the loveliest fabrics at Crafty Planet and the rest is history!
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
I find her very trustworthy and loyal and a pretty easy one to operate, so I think she would be great for someone who doesn’t want to deal with all the fancy gadgets some of the new ones come with.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Be sure that you can get her serviced locally or you’ll be sorry!
Do you have a dream machine?
I do enjoy using my mom’s Huskylock Serger. I guess it’s the instant gratification of seeing that neatly stitched & trimmed seam. I can go really fast on it! It’s so much fun!
I hope you enjoyed my little interview about my sewing machine. Anyone have some name suggestions for this girl??
Oh and there is a special giveaway to go along with the book, you can win a yard of fabric each month for a whole year! Enter at the Yard of the Month Sweepstakes. Now I think it's time to celebrate with a glass of wine...
